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Good points. Byrne's argument is interesting but not completely solid. Plenty of people doing civil disobedience don't want to be caught. But if Swartz really

Good points. Byrne's argument is interesting but not completely solid. Plenty of people doing civil disobedience don't want to be caught. But if Swartz really believed in his cause, why did he give up on it so easily? Why not release the data or go on TV anywhere and everywhere to talk about the outrageous system that locks up research documents behind a paywall?

icambron 14y ago
Yeah, that's a big question for me too. To speculate a little bit, the recent Slate profile of Swartz paints him as impatient and mercurial, getting tired of projects quickly and moving on, especially when he finds some aspect of it painful or tedious. Nothing wrong with that in life, I think, but not a great property in an activist. Maybe he just wasn't up for the fight? Edit: and I'll give credit to Byrne on this point. On the other hand, we should also remember that Swartz is human and not some activist archetype. Sometimes life, shifting priorities, or personal issues get in the way of our goals. Best laid plans, etc. That his followthrough didn't match his initial stab doesn't make the initial stab wrong.